“You can’t take a new step in the life of the community without turning some
dirt.”

So Chesterton Town Manager Bernie Doyle opined on Thursday, as he invited
local officials, honored guests, and the contractor to break ground on the
Ind. 49 utility corridor project, at a brief ceremony at the intersection of
Voyage Blvd. and Gateway Blvd. in Coffee Creek Center.

The basic concept of the project is the extension of sanitary sewer,
stormwater, water, and fiber optic infrastructure under the Indiana Toll
Road, across Ind. 49 to the west side, and then down to the town’s
southernmost corporate limit.

Partnering with the town is Porter County, which is contributing $740,409 to
upsize the sanitary lines in order to service property along Ind. 49 in
unincorporated Liberty Township.

Total specified capacity of the sanitary infrastructure: 1,844,435 gallons
per day.

“This is an exciting day for the community as well as Porter County,” said
Town Council President Nick Walding, R-3rd. And to special guests, County
Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, and Member Laura Blaney, D-at
large, Walding added, “Thank you for partnering with us in this important
project.”

“I’ve been involved in this project for four years,” noted Town Council
Member Jeff Trout, R-2nd. But members Sharon Darnell, D-4th, and Jim Ton,
R-1st, have been “working on a corridor project to create jobs for much
longer,” he said.

“The additional capacity that (Porter County’s) participation has been
allowed to create will pay off huge in the future,” Trout remarked. “This is
a great project for us. I’m happy we could turn it into a regional project.
We’re crossing party lines. We’re crossing jurisdictional lines. This is a
great example of what can be done when we work together.”

The project’s contracted engineering consultant, DVG Inc. of Crown Point,
had originally estimated the price tag for the job at $3.6 million. But the
bids came in significantly lower, with the low base bid and Alternate 1—the
latter for the upsize of the line—totaling $2,880,865, submitted by LGS
Plumbing Inc. of Crown Point.

DLZ will provide full-time construction management and site inspection
services for an additional $187,960.

In May the Chesterton Redevelopment Comimission—which is administering the
project—voted unanimously to authorize a maximum issue of $3 million in tax
increment financing bonds to fund the project.

In July the Porter County Council voted 5-2 to authorize an expenditure of
$740,409 in CEDIT funds to cover the upsizing of the sanitary sewer line.